1. Field the Invention
The present invention relates to a restraint for vehicle trunks or hoods, hereafter called lid or lids, and in particular for restraints that serve as safety back-up systems. This invention is to hold a lid open in order to prevent their unintentional closing by unanticipated forces, such as: winds, parking a vehicle on an excessive grade, aging hood or trunk retention assemblies or accidents often associated with children.
2. Discussion of Background
Vehicle lids have long been a cause of injury, sometimes death, by their unintentional closings at inopportune times. These random closing""s, seemingly on their own volition, are often caused by unanticipated forces such as: winds, parking a vehicle on an excessive grade, aging hood/trunk retention assemblies or accidents often associated with children. Previously the automotive industry has addressed this problem by having a physical rod, manually placed into position, prop the lid assembly into an open position. Today automobile manufacturers utilize pistons or spring retention assemblies to keep lids into an open position. The inherent problems associated with these systems is that they are highly susceptible to failure owing to aging of the retention assemblies, such as pistons leaking, springs losing their energy storage capabilities, or unexpected forces being exerted upon them or inadvertent closings.
Additionally the current lid mechanisms used today are designed to perform a duality of functions, i.e. closing and opening, whereas earlier lid retention devices, rods, were designed with one goal in mindxe2x80x94to keep the lid open. This duality of function results in a paradox such that neither function, opening or closing, is designed for optimum performance due to conflicting functions.
Furthermore, owing to costs and the number of vehicles manufactured each year, somewhere around 500,000 per manufacturer, the automobile industry is unlikely, at best hesitant, to have a lid retention system uniquely designed for every manufacturers"" make and model. And finally, probably the most important issue owing to the possibility of a national recall, manufacturers do not want a solution that cannot cost-effectively retrofit a variety of previously manufactured vehicles.
Therefore as exemplified, the most important considerations in developing a safety device to minimize the probability that a lid will not inadvertently close are: cost, its capability of providing a universal solution, its ability to retrofit existing vehicles and the simplicity of operationxe2x80x94all of which this present invention uniquely satisfies.
Accordingly with its major aspects already briefly recited, the present invention is a back-up safety device for holding a vehicle""s trunk or hood, hereafter called lid or lids, in an open position. The device comprises a ␣ formed fork, which is housed in a vehicle""s lid support arm, and swung into contact with an extension-damper assembly whenever it is desired to keep the lid open. One end of the ␣ formed fork is inserted into friction fittings on both sides of the support arm and the other end bent such that the ␣ formed fork now has one leg of the fork on each side of the support arm assembly. Both ends of the ␣ formed fork are fitted with force distribution boots such that when the ␣ formed fork is manually swung down they come in contact with the extension-damper assembly that is mounted to the lids interior well. When this happens the ␣ formed fork ends force distribution boots come in contact with the extension-damper which in turn is connected to the vehicles body assembly and does not allow the lid to move towards the closed position. Two important, related features of the present invention are as follows: When the ␣ formed fork is in the up, storage position, it is kept there by the frictional forces exerted by the two friction fittings, and does not inhibit the opening or closing of the vehicle""s lid. Secondly the function of the extension-damper is two fold. Because when swung down the ␣ formed fork must clear the vehicles body assembly it could, without the extension-damper, allow the lid to move in the downward direction some distance before making contact with the vehicles body assembly. Although the ␣ formed fork, without the extension-damper, would not allow the lid to fully close the displacement, that is a function of a particular vehicle, could be sufficient to hit a person""s head before stopping the movement. Therefore, one function of the extension damper is to in-effect lengthen each length of the ␣ formed fork such that there is minimal movement of the lid before the ␣ formed fork""s force distribution boots make contact with it and stop movement. The second function of the extension-damper is to dampen and absorb the energy of the lid""s movement when inadvertently tying to close when the safety device is enabled in the down position. Other features and their advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art of lid supports from a careful reading of the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments accompanied by the following drawings.